Honoring The Fallen

As an aspiring serviceman, I am well aware of the changes that will occur in my life when I join. It comes with great pride and great honor that I will be joining the finest military in the world as a future member of the United States Air Force. However for today, Veterans Day, I will take the time to look back at all the troops who have served over the years in every single American War from the Revolution to the War on Terror. What these men, and in some cases women have done for our country in times of need. As a Historian, if one were to look back into the pages of history, one could easily say that things at times seem hectic for the American soldiers who endured the winters of Valley Forge, the swamps of New Orleans, the deserts of New Mexico, the carnage of Gettysberg, the hills of San Juan, the trenches at the Belleau Wood, the beaches at Normandy, the siege of Korea, the onslaught of Vietnam, the conflicts in Grenada, Panama, and Central America, the bombing of Kosovo, the shootouts at Tora Bora and the liberation of Iraq. However, what kept these troops going was their committment to the people they were fighting for: The American People.

However, sadly enough, not every veteran, regardless of being dead or alive are being given the respect they deserve. I am sure there were Confederate War veterans who were regarded as scumbags for what they did in the Civil War when the supreme irony is that only a FEW Confederate Soldiers owned slaves to begin with. Also, there is evidense of blacks even serving in the Confederate Armies when most historians refuse to acknowlegde this one fact of history as it would be deemed “politically incorrect” in keeping with the image of the “Evil Confederates”.

As for the veterans of the Korean War, they are largely forgotten as the Korean War is often times passed over in history books by both World War Two, a war that preceeded it, and the Vietnam War, a war that succeeded it, as Korea was largely looked at a mere conflict, and not a true war.

Vietnam veterans are no better off as there are reports that during the war, many soldiers returning home from the Jungles of Vietnam were spat upon and often called “baby killers” by a group of disrespectful liberals who cared little about the troops who suffered at Tet and various other battles of Vietnam. How sickening to see these troops who sacrificed so much for their country only to come back to hear a barrage of insults and putdowns from the very people whom they were fighting for to begin with. Sure, I do not agree with what happened in Vietnam, but those who served are not at fault as they were only doing what they were told to do. As for veterans who are now living, there are many who are still distrustive and even some that now live on the streets because of the mistreatment the return soldiers endured when they got out of Vietnam.